“Our team of in-house experts is here to help you achieve your goals!” Heard that one before?
We’re proud to report that 60% of reviewers on Gartner’s Peer Insights listed “knowledge” or “expertise” as a key positive factor in working with us. But every company and their dog makes claims about the knowledge and expertise of their staff.
So what does this expertise actually look like?
In this series of articles, we’re going to introduce you to the faces and stories of the experts working on our publisher teams. These are just a selection but we think you’ll get the idea.
Today we’re speaking with two members of our Oracle team about how they got here, the challenges they’ve faced along the way and their advice for organizations managing Oracle.
Scott Jensen
From Security to Senior Manager leading the Oracle Practice at Anglepoint
How did you get here?
I actually joined the industry straight out of graduate school (Brigham Young University, Masters in Information Systems Management). During grad school I worked as a research assistant doing IT-security research. Specifically, I was working in neurosecurity – the fascinating intersection of neuroscience and cybersecurity. This led me to join Anglepoint’s security team after graduation. But the honest truth is that I didn’t love the security work I was doing. Then, after some opportunities led me to dabble in Oracle licensing work, I realized the tremendous need for more Oracle expertise in ITAM teams throughout the world. I made the switch to the Oracle team and now I lead the entire practice.
Why Oracle?
“Oracle” is such a broad description of an organization that has over 6,000 software and hardware products. Every major software publisher has complex licensing agreements, compliance programs, and usage data that is difficult to obtain. What makes Oracle different is the sheer volume of products to manage – anything from Database and Middleware; application families like E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft, Siebel, and JD Edwards; to Oracle’s newer SaaS and PaaS offerings.
I enjoy helping customers wrap their arms around managing the behemoth that is the world’s largest publisher of business software.
What’s next in the Oracle world?
Oracle is investing a lot in their Cloud strategy and are offering customers substantial financial incentives to make the switch from on-premise to Cloud. Customers are skeptical, but it’s actually a great opportunity for customers to realize significant savings, especially if they are already planning a move to some other third-party Cloud solution.
Roxana Leonte Andone
From Oracle auditor to Anglepoint Oracle Senior Consultant
What brought you to the Anglepoint team?
Seven years ago I was working in an insurance company learning about policy administration and payments reconciliation and starting to plan for a career in IT to finally make my father proud. I took Cisco Networking classes and moved into a role as the Business Continuity Coordinator until I realized my passion really was the field of IT.
Soon after, I joined Oracle and their License Management team in Romania, where I worked as an auditor for four years and learned the ins and outs of Oracle products and software licensing.
One year ago, I “switched sides” and began working for Anglepoint. I’m one of the Women in ITAM who is very happy to watch this fascinating field growing and changing. It’s the dynamic nature that keeps me interested – I love attending a webinar on SaaS this month, then taking a SAM tooling course the next to make sure I’m constantly learning about the best ways to manage an organizations IT assets.
What makes Oracle different?
As Scott mentioned, the complexity of Oracle products and licensing rules can be quite challenging for any company with an Oracle footprint. It’s easy to misunderstand contractual language or fall behind on licensing policies – especially if your organization is using multiple Oracle products purchased at different points in time.
Taking control of Oracle software usage is a first step, but likely not enough to make sure the company is using the software without breaching any terms. A long-term plan includes several other actions, like educating the responsible teams on the licensing guidelines as well as any limitations and restrictions that might be applied to the use of the Oracle software.
To cut it short, Oracle customers have an exceptional number of balls to juggle. But that’s why we are here. To help them see and overcome all these challenges.
What advice do you have for Oracle customers reading this?
Customers can come from different industries and can have very different Oracle estates but they all want the same things: to have visibility on their software usage, to understand their rights to use the software and to optimize their Oracle spend.
That’s why my job is so interesting and rewarding. I get to see a customer going from a concerning, stressful situation to a stress-free zone where they have a plan in place and a checklist to eliminate financial risk. And I learn a lot from them too. What more could I ask for in a role?
Like all software publishers, Oracle is always trying to protect its intellectual property; but that doesn’t mean an organization can’t be well prepared to respond. Having visibility, understanding your rights, deciding what is missing. These are all key. It can be difficult at first, but once teams prioritize this project, it becomes an easily repeatable process. With Oracle products it’s best practice to have a knowledgeable Software Asset Management team that verifies Oracle contracts and software in use at least once a year. And if you don’t, call us!
Our experts are with us because they wanted to use their behind-the-scenes experience and perspective to help customers truly understand the way that publishers work. If you’d like to start a conversation about Oracle or any other publisher you’re working with, don’t hesitate to start a conversation with us below. We promise to have an expert with an answer.